The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied the media reports which the Commission alleged that it gave a false report that special provisions have been made for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)outside Nigeria to vote in the 2019 general elections.
In a statement released a few hours ago on IDPs outside Nigeria and the 2019 general elections, INEC clear the air and the miscommunication. The Statement reads:
“The attention of INEC has been drawn to a report by a section of the media which gave a false impression that the Commission has made special provisions for internally displaced persons outside Nigeria to vote in the 2019 general elections
The Commission wishes to state unequivocally that there will be no disposed of or out-of-Country voting for any Nigerian in accordance with extant provisions of the Nigerian constitution of 1999 (as amended). Only dully registered internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Nigeria will be allowed to vote.
The framework and regulations for IDP voting were presented and validated by stakeholders at a conference held in Abuja on 12th December 2018. However, there was no reference what so ever in the remarks made by the Hon. Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu or during deliberation at the validation meeting that special provisions will be made for IDPs outside Nigeria to vote in the forthcoming general elections, contrary to the said media report.
It should however be noted that while internally displaced persons currently residing in states where they registered can vote in all elections, those displaced from their states and are currently living in states other than where they registered can only vote in the Presidential election.
The framework validated by stakeholders at the conference is in consonance with the provisions of section 26(1) of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2015 which provided that “in the event of an emergency affecting an election, the Commission shall as far as possible ensure that person’s displaced as a result of the emergency are not disenfranchised”